Press Releases: Georgia
September 8, 2008
Kaiser Permanente Gives $5 Million to Grady Health System
Grant will fund 10 "green" ambulances, Trauma Center equipment and provide care for 1,000 uninsured Grady patients with chronic conditions
ATLANTA, Ga. – Kaiser Permanente of Georgia announced today a $5 million gift to Grady Health System to improve access to care for the uninsured and to support its trauma services.
Of the gift, $3 million will fund the care of 1,000 low-income, uninsured patients with chronic illnesses. In addition, $1.5 million will purchase a fleet of 10 new "green" ambulances for Grady Emergency Medical Services, making Grady the only hospital in North America to operate "green" ambulances. The state-of-the-art vehicles offer unmatched fuel economy, cost less to maintain, produce fewer emissions and use recycled plastic for the interior.
The remaining $500,000 will be used to purchase equipment for Grady's Level I Trauma Center. Among the items to be purchased are a high-tech portable ultrasound unit, two fiber optic scopes, burn equipment, a transcranial doppler device, cardiac output monitors, and other equipment.
"As a non-profit health plan, Kaiser Permanente understands and appreciates the important safety net role Grady has in our community. Grady is the largest safety net hospital in Metro Atlanta serving many of those most in need. We at Kaiser Permanente want to do our part to help it continue to serve as such a vital resource," said Peter Andruszkiewicz, interim president of Kaiser Permanente of Georgia.
"We are dedicated to a healthy Georgia and we want to continue to see Grady be a viable part of our community," said Rob Schreiner, MD, executive medical director of Kaiser Permanente. "Not only does Grady provide care to thousands of patients in the area, it also offers training to new physicians in Georgia."
In his second week on the job, Grady's new CEO, Michael Young, welcomed the contribution from Kaiser Permanente."Grady is dedicated to providing quality healthcare for anyone who walks in our doors," Young said. "Kaiser Permanente's contribution to Grady is providing much-needed support for our trauma services and for our patients."
In addition to this Grady contribution, Kaiser Permanente is donating $1.5 million to smaller safety net organizations in metro Atlanta. The organization also offers a program that enrolls uninsured, income eligible persons and subsidizes 95 percent of their Kaiser Permanente insurance premiums. "It is our goal to provide access to care to 2,500 uninsured persons this year through this Grady contribution and our Kaiser Permanente Bridge Program," Andruszkiewicz added. Overall, Kaiser Permanente will provide nearly $13.5 million for community health improvement programs in 2008. These efforts include nursing, pharmacy and medical school scholarships, an educational theatre program to teach healthy living, and a community health initiative in the Belvedere area in DeKalb County that helps address chronic illness.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is Georgia's largest non-profit health plan, providing health care services to approximately 275,000 members through 15 medical facilities in metro-Atlanta and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians.
